More power to third eye?

ICC propose use of referrals of on-field umpire decisions in the Champions Trophy. If successful, WC 2007 may use them too.

MUMBAI: The International Cricket Council over the weekend will seriously consider reducing the margin for errors of field umpires by allowing batsmen as well as the fielding side a fixed number of appeals against decisions.  Umpires, if challenged will have to refer decisions they have made, including leg-before wickets, to the television umpire. 

An approval by the ICC Cricket Committee headed by former India skipper Sunil Gavaskar will be sought during a two-day meeting in Dubai starting on Friday. If the innovation gets a green signal, it will be the first step in allowing umpires the increased freedom to refer decisions, starting with the Champions Trophy to be played in India in October-November. Its success in the Champions Trophy in India will determine whether or not players will have the luxury of challenging on field umpire decisions at the Caribbean World Cup in 2007.

“Yes, it has the potential to be used in the next year’s World Cup,” ICC spokesperson Brain Murgatroyd told DNA. “We are actively looking at a system where players will be allowed a certain number of appeals against field umpire decisions.”

He was quick to add that getting the clearance for the Champions Trophy first from the Cricket Committee and then from the Chief Executive’s Committee and the Executive Board was the immediate need.

“If the ICC’s Cricket Committee gives the nod then the proposal will have to get cleared by the Chief Executive’s Committee by the ICC’s Executive Board. Only then can it be implemented in the Champions Trophy,” Murgatroyd said. However, this will not be extended to Test cricket. Increased referral powers were given on an experimental basis during the six-day Super Test between the ICC World XI and Australia but umpire Rudi Koertzen who stood in the game said that the umpires must be left alone to make mistakes. The Committee will also discuss the merits of equipping umpires with earpieces that will allow them to listen to the stump microphones, something that will help them hear edges much more easily.